Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-02-03
Is IT A B00MERANG2
THE GRAND JURY REPORT IN FULL
GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC AT LAST.
Judge Robinson and Geo. Robertson
Demand IN Investigation.
Pertinent Remarks by .Iadee Hughes
Ihe Facts and the Animus to
be shown Up.

At IL 80 O'Clock this morning, Mr..
j. Med. Trimble called the attention
OF the court to the report lately filed
by the grand jury.
He said that it was reported about
town and published in a newspaper
of this county QnteHigeacer) that the
late grand jury had submitted a re-
port setting out the results of their
Investigations; that the report con-
tanned commentator for all the Of
ticers of the county except the late
Prosecuting Attorney and the late
Judge Of the Court ; that the news
paper referred to stated that said re.
port censured very severely Mr..
George Robertson and Judge Robin
son. Mr. Trimble further remarked
that these gentleman accused were Of
ficers of the court and if the court
and ifthey had been guilty of any Of
fetal misconduct they should be thor
oughly investigated. He thought 1t
unfair that these gentlemen should
be left the victims of the rumors and
reports set aloat by the publication
referred to. He thought in justice
to them they should know what was
in the report, so that they might take
steps to yindicate themselves, or do
whatever the occasion demands. He,
therefore, moved the court that the
clerk be ordered to read the report
aloud in open court, that all might
know precisely what it contained.
Judge Forrist then arose and said:
eff your Honor pleases, 1 think,
beyond all controversy, this motion
should be sustained. l don't know
what is in the paper; we ought to
know what IS in that paper, the gen
men ought to know what is in that
paper and we should not be left to
the mere suspicious that are thrown
out through the newspapers.
CInteHigeneer.1
Judge Hughes: "The order will be
made"
The court then ordered the clerk
to read the report, which is as fol-
flows:
To the Hon. E. Hughes, Judge:
The undersigned grand jurors, in
and for the county of Audrain and
State of Missouri, impanelled at the
January term, 1887, of the Circuit
Court of said county, after having
examined into all matters presented
for our consideration, in obedience
to the courts instructions, present
this, our report:
There has been but one case of
homicide presented for u consider
alton, in which Ease a true bill for
murder IN the first degree has been
found. In some parts of the county
the illegal traffic in intoxicating liq-
uors seems to be quite extensive.
Eleven indictments have been found
against persons unlawfully engaged
in and carrying on such business ;
six of said indictments being for the
violation of the statute regulating
druggists and pharmacists, two for
violating the draw shop law and the
remainder for violating the law in re-
lation to merchants licenses. We
also report one indictment against
a billiard saloon keeper, fer setting
up and permitting to be used a bill
lard table, without having first OBJ
tanned a license so to do.
There is a good reason to believe
that the statute against carrying con.
cealed weapons is constantly being
violated in this county three lndict.
ments have been returned against
persons transgressing the law in thai
regard. We have inspected the
county Jail, and find but one prisoner
confined therein, under sentence. TIL,
management of the Jail and care o
prisoners is, in II judgment, a
good as is possible under existing
circumstances. The sewerage ar
engagements connected with the build
ing are very defective, and should b,
either replaced by larger and bette
ones, or entirely abolished. We fnt
. there has been no provision made TO
working the prisoners, and have
doubt that if the County Court woul,
. establish q rock yard in connectio
Z with the Jail, and under proper regu
~lations require the prisoners to wor
e and labor while under sentence, il
stead of eating the bread of indolenc'
f the result would be beneficial to IL
well being of the prisoners, and
e the same time a deterrent infuent
o would be exercised thereby, on thos
who ale disposed to commit petit
violations of the law.
The provisions of the statutes
this state, regulating the summonir
of grand and petit jurors, by Il
County Court, directing said court
select the jurors from the sever
!, townships of the county, in propo
ton to the population of each tow
ship, has fallen into disuse. v
recommend that hereafter the juro
,, summoned for services in this cou
b ha saipctad nv the Comfy Court